Dimitar Berbatov will not be returning to Bayer Leverkusen, though the Manchester United forward's future remains unclear.

Berbatov played for Leverkusen for five seasons before he moved to Tottenham Hotspur in 2006. But Wolfgang Holzhauser, the chief executive, said: "We are looking to find a striker, one that works well alongside Stefan Kiessling. However, the return of Berbatov is not an option for us. We are still on good terms with him but he would only be an option if he was available on a free transfer."

This will not be a possibility as Berbatov is signed on for another year at Old Trafford, and with him costing £30.75m four years ago United will be keen to try to recoup around half of that.

Berbatov does appear to be leaving at some point this summer, though, after he admitted frustration this week: "My time at United is running out, I no longer feel like a valuable part of this team. I think I did well in the few opportunities that I received. I am a little frustrated by the way this happened, I do not think I deserved it."